Photographic camera with exposure meter



April 11, 1939.

A. O. COUYOUMDJIAN PHOTQGRAPHIC CAMERA WITH EXPOSURE METER Filed March 10, 1957 fnrenfor QQW lffo/weya Patented Apia 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT oral-cs Agop Ohan Couyoumdiian, Berlin, Germany sp uesaonmmh 1o, 1

\. In Germany February 28, 1936 My invention relates to photographic cameras provided with an electric exposure meter.

Photographic cameras in combination with electric exposure meters are already known, in

5 which two variable resistances are connected in series with the meter and the photocell, one resistance being coupled to the diaphragm adjustment and the other to the means for setting the shutter speeds. Thus by varying the resistmance according to the meter reading, the diaphragm opening and the shutter speeds are correspondingly adjusted. This arrangement has the disadvantage that, owing to both resistances ,beingln series with the meter, the current flowing through the meter does not change proportionately to the change in value oi the resistance which is being varied, but to the change in value of the sum of the resistances considered as one,

= so that an accurate adjustment of the diaphragm 20 or of the shutter speeds is not possible.

An arrangement is also known consisting of a single resistance, in which the resistance itseli is movable and connected toone adjustment, while its slider moves with the other adjustment.

5 By this method the above defect is avoided, but owing to the unequal division of the diaphragm scale, a compensating gear is required between the resistance and the diaphragm. Further, when a focal plane shutter is employed, then,

so owingto the unequal division of the shutterspeed scale, a second compensating gear is re- ,quired between the resistance and the focal plane shutter. Thirdly, owing to the distance of the diaphragm adjusting ring from the shutter-speed a adjustment. 'a mechanical transmission gear is necessary to bridge the distance. Finally, a diaphragm for. varying the aperture of the lens and built inside the ens fitting is known. .When, however, it is esired to build not onlyfthe diaphragm but also the electric resistance inside the lens fitting in a dustprooi desi the coupling arrangement must evidently V occupy a minimum space. Up to the present, owing to the space required, firstly, for the compensating gear between the diaphragm and the resistance and, secondly, for the transmission gear between the slider and the shutter-speed adjustment, it has been found necessary to build the resistance outside the lens fitting.

All these disadvantages are avoided by the present linvention, which consists of a circuit comprising essentially a photocell, an electric measuringinstrument and two variable resistances, one of which is in series with and the other in parallel to the measuring instrument.

931, Serial No. 1301100 The current. flowing though the electic measuring instrument varies practically proportionately to. the variation of whichever resistance is adiusted, i. e. practically independently of the value of the other resistance, so that a reliable setting 01' the diaphragm aperture or 01" the shutter speed is made possible. Due to the use of two resistances which are electrically independent of each other; and the scales of which can therefore be divided proportionately to the diaphragm l0 and shutter scales, no compensating gears are required, either between the diaphragm and the resistance coupled thereto, or between the shutter and its coupled resistance. Further, the transmission gear between the diaphragm and 16 shutter speed adjustments can be dispensed wit since the diaphragm regulating resistance is independent of the shutter speed regulating resistance. And, ilnally,'t his simplification allows the diaphragm regulating. resistance and its slider to be connected directly to the moving and stationary elements of the diaphragm inside the lens fitting, within the limitedspace between the lens elements. In the accompanying drawing, lis the diaphragm, 2 its ring adjustment lever, moving along the scale 3. The current from a light sensitive electric cell 4 flows through the resistance 8 which is mounted on the stationary part of the diaphragm and suitably insulated therefrom. A projection 6 on the ring lever 2, sliding over the resistance 5 receives the photocell current and earths it tothe body of the camera at I. From thence thecurrent passes through the'camera body I to the shutter speed adjustment knob l, whence the slider 9 carries it to the resistance l0. and so back to the other pole oi the photocell I. An electric measuring instrument ii is shunted in parallel as shown across the resistance ll, whereby the metal casing of the instrument may form the earth terminal and be cast in one piece with the camera body. The pointer l2 moves along a scale i3 marked 0, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30 and 60, which may be itself movable relative to a scale of Scheiner degrees.

The value oi resistance 5 decreases with increase of the diaphragm aperture, the value of resistance l0 increases with increasing length of exposure. The resistances are preferablyso constructed that'the value of the first step of resist ance 5 is approximately equal to the average value 01' the sum of the resistance of the measuring instrument and of the photocell, while the maximum value of resistance ll is about ten times 5 the resistance of the measuring instrument. Both resistances may be so designed that their value by adjustment oi the diaphragm and of the shutter speeds varies proportionately to these.

The working of the device is as follows:

When the photocell is exposed to strong light, let the current flowing through the measuring instrument ii, bring the pointer 12 to 0 on the scale ii. If the diaphragm be on 11:23 and the J shutter speed on A; see, then in order to obtain the correct exposure, the knob I may be turned in counterclockwise direction, reducing the value of resistance II which thus takes an ever larger portion of the current oi the photocell, whereby the current flowing through the measuring instrument is reduced till the pointer comes to rest at the point 1. The shutter speed thus arrived at, e. g. ,600 sec. is then the correct exposure (or the given light value and given diaphragm apertui'e. If now the diaphragm aperture is reduced, e. g. to 1129, then resistance I will be correspondingly increased and the current 0! the light sensitive cell correspondingqy decreased, so that the pointer or the measuring instrument moves, e. g. to the point 10" of the scale. In order to bring the pointer back to point "l" of the scale, the resistance It must be increased through rotation of the knob I, in order to increase the current flowing through the electric measuring instrument ii. This automatically sets the new shutter speed, e. g. on f0 sec., whereby the eii'ect oi the diminished aperture is compensated for.

It with the shutter set to its longest adjustment of 1 see. the pointer of the measuring instrument does not come to 1" but stands e. g. on 10, this ndicates that an exposure or lihsecs. will be lmderthe given light conditions prevailingaudwith theapertureused.

What I claim is:

1. A photographic camera provided with an exposure meter comprising a photoelectric cell, and a circuit connected to said cell, said circuit having a first variable resistance in series with said cell and a circuit portion in series with said first resistance and cell, said circuit portion consisting of two parts connected in parallel, one of said parallel parts being of substantially constant resistance and containing a measuring instrument, and a second variable resistance in the other part, one of said variable resistances being coupled to the means for adjusting the diaphragm of the camera and the other being coupled to the means (or setting the speed of the shutter.

2. A photographic camera provided with an exposure meter comprising a photoelectric cell, two variable resistances each comprising two elements, a resistance and a contact, means mounting one of said elements of each resistance lor movement with respect to the other, a measuring instrument, and a circuit connecting one element of one of said resistances to one side oi said cell, oneelement oi the second resistance and one side of said measuring instrument in parallel to the other side of said cell, and the second element of the second resistance and the other side of said measuring instrument in parallel to the second element of the first resistance, one 0! said variable resistances being coupled to the means for adjusting the diaphragm oi' the camera and the other being coupled to the means for setting the speed of the shutter.

AGOP OHAN COUYOUMDJIAN. 

